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A maple leaf, the symbol of Canada, adorns the masthead of Canada’s

elder statesmen of national newspapers, the 155-year-old Globe and

Mail.

But perhaps the Union Jack might now be more appropriate with Richard

Addis, former editor of The Express, taking the helm. He will be the

Globe’s general in the battle against Conrad Black’s National Post,

which was launched in October 1998.

Addis’s selection as editor is seen as a direct retaliation against the

Post, which is staffed by a number of veterans from the UK newspaper

wars of the 90s. Though the appointment could be a sign that the Globe

is feeling the squeeze from the Post, circulation figures show that both

papers sell about 300,000 copies each.

Canada’s largest circulation daily is The Toronto Star, which earlier

this year made an unsuccessful bid to purchase Toronto’s only tabloid

daily, The Toronto Sun.

The main challenge facing Addis will be to prove that he can keep the

Globe strong in Toronto, now one of the most competitive newspaper

cities in North America. To do this, he must give his national and

international stable of reporters the freedom to seek out off-beat

features and write with the wit and personality that characterise the

Post’s best stories. In order to live up to its slogan as ’Canada’s

national newspaper’, Addis must also increase cross-Canada news

coverage.

The Globe has been redefining itself since the mid-90s. The latest

tactics include the use of colour photographs. Indeed, the 1998 redesign

led to the Globe being named one of the best-designed papers in the

world. And the weekend edition, particularly the Arts and Books section,

is a favourite among the cognoscenti.

The newspaper’s stronghold among high-income, high-influence executives

is reflected in its Careers section, the country’s best guide to

opportunities in top management. And advertising tends to be dominated

by Saab, Audi, BMW and other high-end retailers and manufacturers.

Globe and Mail fact file

Owner                     Thomson Corporation

Price                     dollars 0.60 (Monday to Friday)

                          dollars 1.85 (Saturday)

Launched                  1844

Circulation               330,000

Ad rate for full page

(weekday edition)         dollars 48,890